CN112384836A

CN112384836A - Optical connecting component

Info

Publication number: CN112384836A
Application number: CN201980045705.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金内靖臣
Original assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-09
Filing date: 2019-08-06
Publication date: 2021-02-19
Also published as: US11327243B2; US20210132296A1; WO2020032072A1; JPWO2020032072A1; JP7363790B2

Abstract

The present invention has: an optical fiber (20); 1 or more wire members (30) which are arranged in parallel with the optical fiber (20), have a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber (20), and are easily plastically deformed; a first fixing member (40) which is a block having a plurality of fine holes (41) parallel to each other, or a group of a flat substrate (43) and a V-groove substrate (42) having a plurality of V-grooves (44) parallel to each other, and in which one end portion of the optical fiber (20) and one end portion of 1 or more wire members (30) are fixed in the plurality of fine holes (41) or on the plurality of V-grooves (44), respectively; and a second fixing member (50) that fixes the optical fiber (20) and fixes the 1 or more wire members (30) on the other end side of the 1 or more wire members (30).

Description

Optical connecting component

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an optical connection component.

The present application claims priority based on japanese application No. 2018-149962 filed on 8/9 in 2018, and the entire contents of the disclosure in the above japanese application are cited.

Background

As an optical module is miniaturized, there is a demand for a reduction in height of an optical connection component, that is, when one end of an optical fiber is perpendicularly connected to a substrate on which an optical element such as a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and an optical circuit is mounted, the height of the optical fiber from the substrate is reduced. In order to reduce the height of the optical connecting member, it is necessary to bend the vicinity of the distal end of the optical fiber with a small radius. In view of the above, patent document 1 discloses an optical path conversion member having a plurality of positioning grooves arranged in a row on an upper surface of a base substrate having a curved leading end surface smoothly continuing from a flat upper surface, and a cover member having a surface along the upper surface of the base substrate for pressing an optical fiber accommodated in the positioning groove of the base substrate. Patent document 2 discloses an optical connector in which a bent hole is opened in a connector body, and an optical fiber is inserted through the bent hole and fixed to the bent hole, thereby bending the optical fiber.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-52028

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open No. 2007-156006

Disclosure of Invention

An optical connecting member according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an optical fiber; 1 or more wire members arranged in parallel with the optical fiber, having a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber, and being easily plastically deformed; a first fixing member which is a block having a plurality of parallel fine holes or a group of a flat base plate and a V-groove base plate having a plurality of parallel V-grooves, and in which one end portion of the optical fiber and one end portion of the 1 or more wire members are fixed to the plurality of fine holes or the plurality of V-grooves, respectively; and a second fixing member that fixes the optical fiber and the 1 or more thread members on the other end side of the 1 or more thread members.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an optical connecting member of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an a-a sectional view of the optical connecting member shown in fig. 1 in the radial direction.

Fig. 3A is a side view showing an example of an optical fiber included in the optical connecting member of the present invention.

Fig. 3B is a plan view showing a state where the optical fiber and the wire member are fixed to the first fixing member, which is one step of the method for manufacturing the optical connecting member.

Fig. 3C is a plan view showing a state where the second fixing member is fixed, which is one step of the method for manufacturing the optical connecting member.

Fig. 3D is a side view showing a step of the method for manufacturing the optical connecting member.

Fig. 4 is a front view showing another example of the first fixing member in the optical connecting member of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the optical connecting member according to the present invention, including a second fixing member having the same shape as the first fixing member.

Detailed Description

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

The optical path conversion member disclosed in patent document 1 or the optical connector disclosed in patent document 2 requires a substrate having a predetermined curved surface or a member having a curved hole to bend the optical fiber to a desired radius and angle, and the member needs to be changed when the curvature of the optical fiber is changed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an optical connecting member capable of bending and holding an optical fiber with a desired curvature without requiring a substrate having a predetermined curved surface or a member having a curved hole.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, an optical connecting component capable of bending and holding an optical fiber with a desired curvature without requiring a substrate having a predetermined curved surface or a component having a curved hole can be obtained.

[ description of embodiments of the invention ]

First, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

(1) An optical connecting member according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an optical fiber; 1 or more wire members arranged in parallel with the optical fiber, having a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber, and being easily plastically deformed; a first fixing member which is a block having a plurality of parallel fine holes or a group of a flat base plate and a V-groove base plate having a plurality of parallel V-grooves, and in which one end portion of the optical fiber and one end portion of the 1 or more wire members are fixed to the plurality of fine holes or the plurality of V-grooves, respectively; and a second fixing member that fixes the optical fiber and the 1 or more thread members on the other end side of the 1 or more thread members. Here, the "ordinary temperature" in the present invention is a range of 5 ℃ to 35 ℃.

According to this configuration, the optical fiber fixed to the second fixing member together can be held in a bent state by bending and plastically deforming 1 or more wire members, and the optical connection member can be obtained in which the optical fiber can be held in a bent state with a desired curvature without requiring a substrate having a predetermined curved surface or a member having a bent hole.

(2) The second fixing member may be configured to adhesively fix the optical fiber and the wire member on the other end side of the wire member. According to this configuration, the optical fiber between the other end side of the wire member and the first fixing member can be disassembled.

(3) The plurality of wire members may be 2 wire members, and the optical fiber may be disposed between the 2 wire members. According to this configuration, the force for maintaining the bending of the wire member can be reliably transmitted to the optical fiber via the second fixing member. This makes it possible to firmly hold the optical fiber in a bent state.

(4) The second fixing member may be a plate material that covers a surface on which the optical fiber and the 2-root member are arranged in parallel and is plastically deformable together with the 2-root member. According to this configuration, not only the wire member but also the plate member is plastically deformed, and the force for maintaining the bending of the wire member and the plate member can be reliably transmitted to the optical fiber via the second fixing member. This makes it possible to firmly hold the optical fiber in a bent state.

(5) The plate member may be fixed to the first fixing member or one end portions of the optical fiber and the wire member. According to this configuration, the force for maintaining the bending of the wire member can be reliably transmitted to the optical fiber via the second fixing member. This makes it possible to firmly hold the optical fiber in a bent state.

(6) The second fixing member may be a block having a second plurality of parallel fine holes or a set of a flat substrate and a V-groove substrate having a second plurality of parallel V-grooves, and the other end portions of the optical fibers and the other end portions of the 1 or more wire members may be fixed to the second plurality of fine holes or the second plurality of V-grooves, respectively. According to this structure, it is not necessary to separately prepare a plate material as the second fixing member.

[ details of embodiments of the present invention ]

Preferred embodiments of the optical connecting member according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, even if the structures denoted by the same reference numerals in different drawings are the same, the description thereof may be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes all modifications within the scope of the features described in the claims and the equivalent scope. In addition, as long as a plurality of embodiments can be combined, the present invention includes a mode in which arbitrary embodiments are combined.

First, the structure of the optical connection member will be described. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an optical connecting member of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an a-a sectional view of the optical connecting member shown in fig. 1 in the radial direction.

As shown in fig. 1, the optical connecting member 10 has an optical fiber 20, a wire member 30, a first fixing member 40, and a second fixing member 50.

The optical fiber 20 is a transmission path for transmitting light. The optical fiber 20 includes a glass fiber 21 and a resin coating layer 22 covering the periphery of the glass fiber 21. There may be 1 or more optical fibers 20 as described above. In the present embodiment, a case where 2 optical fibers 20 are present will be described. The optical fiber 20 may be an optical fiber ribbon in which a plurality of glass fibers 21 arranged in parallel are coated with a common coating layer. In addition, the optical fiber 20 may have a single core or multiple cores. In the present invention, the term "optical fiber" represents a structure in which the glass fiber 21 is provided with the coating layer 22, but the coating layer 22 may be removed entirely or partially to expose the glass fiber.

As shown in fig. 2, the glass fiber 21 has at least 1 core 23 made of, for example, silica glass, and a cladding 24 having a refractive index lower than that of the core 23 around the core 23.

Returning to fig. 1, the wire member 30 is disposed in parallel with the optical fiber 20, and has a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber 20 and is easily plastically deformed. There may be 1 or more of the string members 30. In the present embodiment, there are 2 wire members 30, and a case where the optical fiber 20 is arranged between the 2 wire members 30 will be described. The material of the wire member 30 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a metal material such as stainless steel, iron, copper, and aluminum, and a resin material such as plastic. Further, the material of the wire member 30 is preferably a metal material from the viewpoint of lower elastic limit and easiness of plastic deformation at normal temperature. Further, from the viewpoint of easy bending, the material of the string member 30 is more preferably stainless steel, iron, or copper. Further, the wire member 30 is more preferably made of stainless steel from the viewpoint of being less susceptible to rust and being lightweight. The outer diameter of the string member 30 is not particularly limited, but the outer diameter of the string member 30 is preferably equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the glass fiber 21, from the viewpoint of being easily inserted together with the glass fiber 21 and penetrating the first fixing member 40.

The first fixing member 40 fixes one end portion of each optical fiber 20 and one end portion of each wire member 30. The first fixing member 40 is made of a glass capillary member having pores 41, for example, in order to match the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass fiber 21. Specifically, the first fixing member 40 is, for example, a block-shaped (square column-shaped) member, and is provided with, for example, 4 pores 41 penetrating from one surface of the first fixing member 40 to the other surface opposite to the one surface.

One end of the wire member 30 and one end of the optical fiber 20 from which the coating layer 22 is removed and each glass fiber 21 is exposed are inserted through and fixed to each pore 41. The inner diameter of the fine hole 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the glass fiber 21, and when the glass fiber 21 is inserted into and inserted through the fine hole 41, the glass fiber 21 is loosely fitted and positioned so as to be movable forward and backward. The first fixing member 40 and the glass fiber 21 are fixed to each other by filling a gap between the fine hole 41 and the glass fiber 21 with a glass adhesive by capillary action.

The second fixing member 50 is a member for fixing the optical fiber 20 to the other end of the wire member 30 by the adhesive 60 and fixing the wire member 30 to the other end by the adhesive 60. The second fixing member 50 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, is a plate material extending from the first fixing member 40 in the axial direction of the optical fiber 20. The plate material covers the surface where the optical fiber 20 and the wire member 30 are arranged in parallel, and can be plastically deformed together with the wire member 30. Examples of the material of the plate include a metal material and a resin material. The second fixing member 50 as described above is fixed to the first fixing member 40 and/or one end portion of the optical fiber 20 and the wire member 30. In the present embodiment, the end face of the plate material as the second fixing member 50 is adhesively fixed to the first fixing member 40.

Next, a method for manufacturing the optical connecting member 10 will be described. Fig. 3A is a side view showing an example of an optical fiber included in the optical connecting member of the present invention. As shown in fig. 3A, the manufacturer prepares, for example, 2 optical fibers 20, and removes the cladding 22 at one end of each optical fiber 20 to expose the cladding 24. In the same order, the manufacturer prepares another optical fiber 20 with the cladding 24 exposed. In the present invention, "manufacturer" may be referred to as "manufacturing apparatus" instead.

Fig. 3B to 3D are diagrams illustrating a series of steps of a method for manufacturing an optical connecting member. As shown in fig. 3B, the manufacturer prepares 2 root line members 30, for example. Next, the manufacturer inserts and fixes one end portion of the 2 optical fibers 20 and one end portion of the 2 string members 30, which are prepared, through the first fixing member 40. Next, the manufacturer grinds the end face of the first fixing member 40, the end face of one end portion of the optical fiber 20, and the end face of one end portion of the 2-root member 30, respectively, to thereby make the end face of the first fixing member 40 an optical connecting member end.

Next, as shown in fig. 3C, the manufacturer adhesively fixes the second fixing member 50 to the end face of the first fixing member 40, and also adhesively fixes a part (for example, an intermediate portion) of the optical fiber 20 and the other end portion of the string member 30 to the plate surface of the second fixing member 50 via the adhesive 60.

Next, as shown in fig. 3D, the manufacturer prepares a rod-shaped tool 70 having an arc portion with a desired curvature, for example, and arranges the optical fiber 20 and the string member 30 protruding from the first fixing member 40 along the arc portion of the tool 70. Next, the manufacturer bends the wire member 30 on the first fixing member 40 side toward the tool 70, and presses and contacts the tool 70. Thus, the manufacturer applies an external force to the optical fiber 20 and the wire member 30, particularly, to the wire member 30 in the radial direction thereof, and plastically deforms the same. Thereby, the bending of the wire member 30 is maintained, and the force trying to maintain the bending thereof is transmitted to the optical fiber 20 via the second fixing member 50, and the bending of the optical fiber 20 is also maintained.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the optical connecting member 10 includes: an optical fiber 20; 1 or more wire members 30 arranged in parallel with the optical fiber 20, having a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber 20 and easily plastically deformed; a first fixing member 40 which is a block having a plurality of fine holes 41 parallel to each other or a group of V-groove base plates 42 having a flat base plate 43 having a plurality of V-grooves 44 parallel to each other, one end portion of the optical fiber 20 and one end portions of 1 or more wire members 30 being fixed in the plurality of fine holes 41 or on the plurality of V-grooves 44, respectively; and a second fixing member 50 for fixing the optical fiber 20 and fixing the 1 or more wire members 30 at the other end side of the 1 or more wire members 30.

According to this configuration, the optical fiber 20 fixed to the second fixing member 50 can be held in a bent state by bending and plastically deforming the wire member 30, and the optical connecting member 10 capable of bending and holding the optical fiber 20 with a desired curvature without requiring a substrate having a predetermined curved surface or a member having a bent hole can be obtained.

[ modified examples ]

The present invention is not limited to the specific examples described above. That is, the configuration obtained by a person skilled in the art by appropriately designing and modifying the above-described specific example is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it has the features of the present invention. The elements of the above-described embodiment and the modifications described later can be combined within a technically feasible range, and a configuration obtained by combining these elements is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the feature of the present invention is included.

For example, although the case where 2 optical fibers 20 and 2 root members 30 are prepared has been described in the above embodiment, for example, 2 optical fibers 20 and 1 root member 30 may be prepared. In this case, the string members 30 may be disposed between the optical fibers 20.

In the above embodiment, the case where the first fixing member 40 is in the block shape was described, but other shapes may be used.

As shown in fig. 4, the first fixing member 40A is composed of a V-groove substrate 42 made of glass and a flat substrate 43 made of the same glass. For example, 4V grooves 44 are arranged in the V groove substrate 42, and each V groove 44 has a size capable of placing the glass fiber 21. The flat substrate 43 is a flat surface having a size covering each V-groove 44 of the V-groove substrate 42. Then, the glass fiber 21 is fixed to each V-groove 44 of the V-groove substrate 42. In this case, the flat substrate 43 is fixed to the V-groove substrate 42 together with the glass fibers 21 by a glass adhesive.

In the above embodiment, the case where the second fixing member 50 is a plate material was described, but the second fixing member may be a second fixing member having the same shape as the first fixing member that fixes the other end portion of the optical fiber 20 and fixes the other end portion of the wire member 30.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of another example including a second fixing member having the same shape as the first fixing member according to the optical connecting member of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 5, the first fixing member 40 is connected to one substrate 80A, and the second fixing member 50 is connected to the other substrate 80B. Here, the second fixing member 50 has the same configuration as the first fixing member 40, and fixes the other end portion of the optical fiber 20 and the other end portion of the wire member 30. According to this structure, it is not necessary to separately prepare a plate material as the second fixing member 50.

Description of the reference numerals

10 … optical connecting component

20 … optical fiber

21 … glass fiber

22 … coating layer

23 … core

24 … cladding

30 … string component

40 … first fixing part

40A … first fixing element

41 … pores

42 … V groove base plate

43 … Flat base plate

44 … V groove

50 … second fixing part

60 … adhesive

70 … tool

80A … base plate

80B … substrate

Claims

1. An optical connecting member, comprising:

an optical fiber;

1 or more wire members arranged in parallel with the optical fiber, having a lower elastic limit at room temperature than the optical fiber, and being easily plastically deformed;

a first fixing member which is a block having a plurality of parallel fine holes or a group of a flat base plate and a V-groove base plate having a plurality of parallel V-grooves, and in which one end portion of the optical fiber and one end portion of the 1 or more wire members are fixed to the plurality of fine holes or the plurality of V-grooves, respectively; and

and a second fixing member that fixes the optical fiber and the 1 or more wire members on the other end side of the 1 or more wire members.

2. The optical connecting component of claim 1,

the second fixing member fixes the optical fiber by adhesion and fixes the wire member by adhesion on the other end side of the wire member.

3. The optical connection component according to claim 1 or 2,

the plurality of wire members is 2 wire members,

the optical fiber is disposed between the 2 root line members.

4. The optical connecting component of claim 3,

the second fixing member is a plate material that covers the surface where the optical fiber and the 2-root member are arranged in parallel and is plastically deformable together with the 2-root member.

5. The optical connecting component of claim 4,

the plate material is fixed to one end portion of the first fixing member or the optical fiber and the wire member.

6. The optical connection component according to claim 1 or 2,

the second fixing member is a block having a second plurality of parallel fine holes or a set of a flat substrate and a V-groove substrate having a second plurality of parallel V-grooves, and the other end portions of the optical fibers and the other end portions of the 1 or more wire members are fixed in the second plurality of fine holes or the second plurality of V-grooves, respectively.